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Same-sex couples in South Australia set to get adoption and surrogacy rights.

Bills granting same-sex couples the right to adopt a child and access to surrogacy have passed South Australia’s Legislative Council, with amendments to be sent to the Lower House.

It has been a historic week with South Australian lawmakers also approving bills to create a same-sex relationships register.

On Wednesday, the adoption and surrogacy bills easily passed the Upper House after lengthy conscience-vote debates.

Family First introduced an amendment to allow assisted reproductive treatment providers the right to conscientiously object to providing services based on the patient’s sexual orientation.

Greens MLC Tammy Franks, who introduced a subsequent amendment to require any services that refused treatment to be placed on a public list, said the debate was not easy but overwhelmingly the house supported equality.

“It’s great to see four bills around equality for LGBTIQ South Australians passed through the Upper House, having already passed the Lower House. We now know they will become law,” Ms Franks said.

She called for the state’s so-called gay panic laws to be overhauled next because they were “offensive”.

“Queensland has announced it is going to get rid of it, every other state and territory has gotten rid of it, South Australia needs to step up and get rid of gay panic,” Ms Franks said.

“The idea that a murder charge can be downgraded to manslaughter simply because a gay man made a sexual advance … and that should justify him being killed and not being considered murder is offensive.”

Family First MLC Rob Brokenshire said after the vote the bill would “damage the moral and social values” of South Australia and the Government had more important issues to deal with like electricity prices.

“To me, it is a day that damages the long-term social values of our state. Other MPs disagreed with me and a majority of them supported the Government,” Mr Brokenshire said.

Both amendments will go before the House of Assembly next year.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.


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